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Friendship Ideas on a Budget
April 15, 2009 @ 5:25 PM

Since I don't make a habit of paying people to be my friends, one could hope that hanging out with them wouldn't break the bank. But I've got to admit that when I'm feeling low on funds, it's hard sometimes to figure out how to maintain my friendships when I'm trying to cut my expenses.

The temptation is simply to avoid going out since it all adds up, but since reports suggest that the happiest people are those in active friendships, the last we want to be is broke AND depressed! So, how to foster friendships while remaining aware of our financial limitations? Here are some ideas and please add some more!

1. Throw a BYOBB (Bring-Your-Own-Bargain-Bottle)Tasting Night: Sunset Magazine's March issue encourages a fun wine tasting evening in your studio where everyone shows up with one wine under $8 from Trader Joe's for a fun night of tasting, drinking and unwinding with new friends where you can together "separate the schlock from the keepers in one fell swoop." How fun!

2. Happy Hour Deals: Google "free + food + Happy Hour +city of choice" and see what pops up! I found this blog Five Happy Hour Freebies in San Francisco to help you know where to meet up when you want to get out with friends!

3. Host a Supper Club: One of my favorite magazines is Cooking Light where they are always featuring Supper Clubs where each person brings one prepared dish made from a new recipe and enjoys a fun potluck with a home-cooked meal and friends!

4. TV Finale Parties: They're all coming up, from American Idol and Dancing with the Stars to Office, Lost and House. Check the listings, make popcorn for $2 and invite friends over!

5. Get Outdoors: Thankfully, most of our parks and trails are free! Meet for a walk, a hike or a bike ride! Go sit and people-watch at a public gathering spot. Plan a picnic! Find a local festival and send out the meet-up details.

Post some events on the GirlFriendCircles Calendar or respond to ideas under the ClassifiedCircles to invite new friends to join you! Afterall, research shows that it's not friendship ideas... but the actual friends themselves, that make that difference!

What else do you know about where you live? Do you know any great deals? Creative ideas? Things you've discovered are fun without breaking your bank? Share them with us on this blog. It's free to brainstorm! :)